


Horrors and Hideaways

by Marasa



Series: Dream Eater [2]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling, Dreams, Fluff, Josh protects him, M/M, Movie Night, Scary Movie, Sleep, Supernatural Elements, Tyler feeds on dreams, Tyler gets scared, caressing, like a lot of fluff, protective, rot your teeth, scared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 13:59:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10515165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marasa/pseuds/Marasa
Summary: Tyler doesn't understand their infatuation with not only fantasy, but horrific fantasy. It's strange and depraved and frightening. Tyler avoids nightmares. Humans seem to gravitate toward them.It's movie night and Tyler doesn't do well with horror movies or what he refers to as, "nightmares on film."





	

Tyler runs his finger along the stretch of Josh's neck like he's studying, trying to understand what it is this human being is, this human called Josh that summoned him. There's blood under his skin that throbs in his jugular and pumps warm and Tyler is leaning his head on Josh’s shoulder as he pokes and prods at Josh’s neck.

It's movie night for the household and Tyler doesn't really care. He doesn't really like movies or understand their appeal. Movies are all made up. In a way, it's the closest they'll ever get to be what Tyler is; they both share in a ‘fiction,’ a dream, of someone's mind. 

Where movies lack spiritual energy, they make up in comprehensible plot. Tyler knows all too well how random dreams can be and how hard it can be to navigate them and feed, but these humans are so spoiled with their organized entertainment. Tyler lightly pinches Josh’s neck and nearly gapes at the response it brings him: a flinch, a furrow of Josh's eyebrows, an annoyed exhale, a few words.

“Tyler,” Josh breaths lowly, “stop it and watch the movie.”

They’re huddled on the couch while some of their friends occupy the floor with popcorn and drinks scattered among them. Tyler is pressed up flush against Josh’s right side with his right leg thrown over Josh’s under a plush blanket pulled up to his shoulders. Tyler tucks his hands under his chin and nestles into Josh further after the man’s instruction.

“I don't want to,” Tyler mumbles against the colors of the tattoo on Josh’s bare shoulder, visible due to his tank top. Tyler chews on his finger tips, red eyes boring into Josh’s profile. Josh is still focused on the screen for the next minute but ultimately breaks when he notices Tyler still watching him out of the corner of his eye. Josh turns his head, brown eyes meeting deep red ones.

“Ty,” Josh says and Tyler immediately hides his entire face in Josh’s shoulder. Tyler's playful, restless, bored. He may want to provoke Josh into humoring him but Josh returns to the movie. Tyler gently bites Josh's shoulder, barely a scrape of his teeth and their friends stay focused on the movie, gasping when the killer pops out from behind a corner and begins stalking toward the stupid characters. Josh turns to him again. “Tyler.”

Tyler doesn't look up and Josh let's it go. Tyler stays hidden a little while longer in his shoulder before shifting his gaze to the television where a man in a frightening mask wields a chainsaw. The spirit fists his hand in Josh’s side, balling up his tank top in his hand. Josh gives a distracted hum.

Tyler doesn't understand their infatuation with not only fantasy, but horrific fantasy. It's strange and depraved and frightening. Tyler avoids nightmares. Humans seem to gravitate toward them. Tyler sinks further into Josh when the chainsaw finally makes contact with one of the slower teenagers in a spray of red and he's whining high in his throat quiet enough that no one can hear it. Josh, however, feels it against his skin and he's turning his head again to look down at the spirit who is obviously cowering and not having a good time.

Josh shifts his right arm and Tyler widens his eyes, fearing his comfort will be taken from him but Josh is slipping his tattooed arm around Tyler and bringing him impossibly closer to him. Josh strokes Tyler’s upper arm with his thumb and the spirit leans into Josh’s collarbone with a deflated sigh.

“You okay?” Josh whispers to the spirit and Tyler doesn't answer. Instead, he places an open palm on Josh’s chest and peeks at the screen.

Hayley laughs when one of the kids trips down the stairs and Jordan is eating popcorn without a care, like what's on the screen isn't making him nauseous. It seems like the only one affected by the shitty and outlandish practical effects is Tyler, who is tapping his fingers on Josh’s chest when he isn't grabbing the material tightly, shifting his legs until they're winded in Josh’s and turning his head back and forth between Josh’s shoulder and the television.

“Ty,” Josh whispers cautiously but Tyler flinches anyway. He turns to Josh and stares with wide red eyes. “Seriously, talk to me: are you okay?”

There's a pause.

Tyler shakes his head and buries his face into Josh’s shoulder again to hide in his embarrassment. He should be able to have a good time; it's fake for fucks sake. But Tyler isn't human and there's something written in his existence that makes him reject nightmarish imagery. Nightmares mean sickness, insufficient energy that is ultimately poison. Feeding on a nightmare can ruin a spirit's week. It's an instinct, a way of survival that he can't shake on behalf of stupid movie night.

“Shh,” Josh chuckles as he quickens his thumb over Tyler’s arm. Michael glances at them as he sips on a soda, a small smile on his face.

There's more murder on screen and loud screams, more tripping and more flinches from Tyler. Josh has taken to stroking Tyler’s hair and then Tyler reaches up to bring Josh’s wandering hand down to cover his eyes in a makeshift shield. Josh exhales a light laugh against his temple before touching his lips there. Tyler sinks further into the couch and grips Josh’s hand tighter.

“I think me and Ty are gonna go to bed,” Josh says and Tyler pulls Josh’s hand from over his eyes and looks up at him. Josh gives him a smile.

“But the movie isn't over,” Hayley argues but Josh is already standing up and pulling Tyler up with him.

“We’re getting tired, right Tyler?”

Tyler swallows. “Y-Yes.”

The group remaining in the living room say their goodnight’s, still distracted by the film and Josh tells them to turn it down a little as he leads Tyler to his room. Tyler follows close behind him as they enter the dark stretch of hallway, fisting his hand in the back of Josh’s black tank top.

A lamp is turned on as soon as they enter the room that smells of incense and warmth and Tyler already begins to relax.

"I apologize, Josh," Tyler says quietly and before Tyler realizes what's happening, Josh is turning and wrapping his arms around his waist gently. 

“It's fine, Tyler. You good?” Josh asks against his hairline. It's a serious question of genuine concern. Josh needs Tyler to be okay. Tyler inhales deeply and slips his eyes shut.

“I-” Tyler stutters, “I just…don't like, frightening things like that. I avoid feeding on nightmares because they're always so...sick. That was a nightmare and it's my first instinct to get out and not watch it.”

“But it was fake, TyTy.”

Tyler's breath stutters at the nickname.

“I-It’s not in my nature to enjoy such things.”

Josh hums.

“Sleep?” Josh suggests. Tyler stiffens but Josh is already cooing to him and rubbing his hands up and down his back.

“I’m going to have to stay in your dreams tonight, just as long as you don't have any nightmares,” Tyler says.

Josh pulls back from him and raises his right hand. “I promise,” Josh says seriously, “no nightmares. Only good dreams.” And then Josh is pulling him to the bed and slipping under the covers with him. Tyler recreates their previous position, the one that brought him comfort. The lamp is turned out and minutes slip by, shallow breath almost turning deep.

“I can feel you thinking,” Josh says in a rough voice already thick with approaching sleep. Tyler grips Josh’s shirt in his hand. He's still on edge, doesn't want to let him go. Josh readjusts their position so he's on his side with his arms wrapped around Tyler tightly, enveloping and overwhelming him in the best possible way.

“Tyler,” Josh says into Tyler’s hair, “tell me what to dream about, and I'll do it.”

This makes Tyler laugh for the first time that night.

“What?”

“List ‘em. List what the perfect dreams are and I'll cook them up and you can slip in once I got them going. So,” Josh sighs, “what should I dream about?”

“You can't do that, Josh,” Tyler says, “it's pretty much impossible.”

“No it isn't. Now tell me what the perfect dream is.”

Tyler grows quiet as he seriously considers it, as if Josh really does have the ability to control his dreams and decide what he dreams about.

“A forest,” Tyler murmurs against Josh’s neck, “a deep forest right before a storm. The wind is cool and refreshing and it's cloudy. There's no sunlight but it's not night; it's just gray. A comforting gray. A blanket of gray that holds the heavy scent of rain.”

Tyler can feel Josh smile in his hair.

“Mhm,” Josh says as he pulls in Tyler tighter, “and what will you do in this forest?”

“No, it's not just me. You're there too Josh,” Tyler says hurriedly, almost in a panic when thinking that Josh wouldn't be there. “You have to be there, Joshua. With me.” Josh strokes the back of Tyler's neck with his fingers.

“Of course, Tyler,” Josh says, “I'm right here and I'll be there with you. Now, what will we do in this forest?”

Tyler breathes deeply.

“We’ll lay on the ground and look at the canopy of leaves above us, through the empty spaces of the leaves and watch the thick clouds move across the sky. It'll be beautiful.”

Josh shifts so that his forehead is against Tyler’s and Tyler is looking at him in the dark. 

“Go to sleep, Tyler,” Josh whispers and Tyler moves to protest, about to describe how he's still scared, but Josh is guiding Tyler to his neck again.

“To get there, we gotta sleep,” Josh murmurs into his ear.

Tyler closes his eyes.

“It's going to be beautiful, Tyler but we have to sleep."

And they do.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm interested with these two and the supernatural elements of their relationship. I'd be interested in writing some more of them and figuring them out a bit more. 
> 
> That being said, if you have any suggestions of what you want to see (ideas, prompts, scenes, etc.) just tell me and I'll see what I can do :)


End file.
